Ubuntu revisited
 

Ok thought I would give it a bit of a chance seeing as its been quite a while since I last got anywhere with it.

Downloaded and installed using the within windows option and I have to say I am surprised. The proprietry ATI driver was easy to find and it installed itself it has the control panel and does appear to take on my screen projector and tv. The network just worked which is good as does the sound. Open office is already installed and I have access to my media etc.

Problems for the basic use option are only 2.

1 Video playback is choppy using the default player there isnt another one installed what should I use and how do I go about installing it

2 Audio for it to be fully working I would need to send audio out via speakers and sometimes through spidif I can not seem to find enough audio options any ideas?

I am getting hold of a job lot of PIII laptops 850 mhz 256 meg ram being lowest spec some will be better and I am thinking about installing Ubuntu onto them as it does seem a viable option which a year or so ago I would not have considered (bet some of ya are shocked or what lol )

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

Not sure about the audio on Ubuntu, but VLC should work fine on there. http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-ubuntu.html

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

As said above your better off installing VLC, or MPlayer.

Ubuntu wont run well on 256MB mem, you'd be better off installing debian + lxde on those.

As a sidenote i'd recommended installing the JFS file system for a huge speed boost, ext3 is really slow.

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

This might help on the sound front.

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

got vlc player install but it didnt fix the choppy video Im guessing gfx driver issue got the new ati for nix but am clueless on installing it lol

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

Dunno if this helps:


Where it says you need to be a 'super user' just prefix the command with sudo and then put in your password when asked for it.


---------- Post added at 15:09 ---------- Previous post was at 15:09 ----------

Oh, and that was taken from:

http://www2.ati.com/drivers/linux/linux_8.16.20.html

You may need to tweak it a little if you're using a different version of the driver, but they should all have their own installers.

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

yeah I seen all that but it says first navigate to the package but how do I get to desktop?

I got a terminal window with ******@ubuntu:~$

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

Is used for changing directory in Linux as it is in Windows.

The Desktop folder is part of your profile, so you would want to issue:

If you then type:

You should get a directory listing (ls on its own will list the directory contents, but -la will give you a nicely formatted output).

While you're typing commands if you hit 'tab' it will autocomplete, so to save time you could do:

.....and save yourself some keystrokes :)

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

ok gimmi a week lol

yeah that was easy enough to follow :)got to the installer :)

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

:LOL:

It's not that much different from the Win command line, just different syntax :)

You'll be fine :tu:

---------- Post added at 15:28 ---------- Previous post was at 15:27 ----------

I'm trying to do this from memory BTW, not at a linux machine at the moment.....

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

yeah dude that appears to have sorted the video :)

Right what do you recommend for img and iso file burning and dvd video burning :)

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

Last time I looked Ubuntu burned images/iso files natively (right clik on the file and see if there's an option to burn image to disc).

Not sure about DVD video burning though.

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

thanks again

brasero appears to do the images but I have to rename the extension on img to iso

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

No worries.

:)

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

I prefer k3b for cd and dvd image burning.

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

yeah man thats the one ta :)

---------- Post added at 16:03 ---------- Previous post was at 16:01 ----------

Ok binary newsreader now lol not much more I need lol something to recomplie rar archives and something like quickpar and thats all I need

---------- Post added at 16:05 ---------- Previous post was at 16:03 ----------

I got flashgot for multi threaded downloads as a FF add on

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

Don't use them myself, but there's a list here:

http://www.newsreaders.com/unix/clients.html

I've seen a couple of people recommending PAN.

This thread might be useful:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...ght=newsreader

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

cool well that makes this a usable operating system for most of what I do besides gaming. Thats a first for me and Nix so fair play

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

Remember winrar works 100% perfect through wine too if you want a gui.

With usenet personally i'd use hellanzb + lottaNZB gui

http://www.lottanzb.org/screenshots

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

Glad you're getting somewhere with it zing :tu:

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

One of the first things to do on any fresh Ubuntu install is(after updates & gfx driver)

Or look for the Ubuntu restricted extras in the Synaptic package manager.
That will install all your codecs,java,flash etc etc.
Then,if you get the video working ok and you want to have better control over Compiz...as most seem to want working right away:erm:

That will give you a GUI in your System>preferences menu where you can change all the fancy graphics.

Built in archiver,with gui,has always done me;)
I just right click on the first .rar(etc) file in the directory and "extract here" and it extracts them all for you.

No need for wine when there`s plenty native app`s for the job.
The first time i ever used wine in fact was about a month ago for spotify:)

EDIT:
Great beginers resource
http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/

EDIT2:Sound
Failing the normal sound dialogue in your menus you could try installing the gnome alsa mixer through synaptic and checking the iec958 box for your spdif output.

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

Yes, it opens rar files fine (if you have unrar/rarfree)

But its unbelievably slow at extracting them, if you like waiting half an hour just to extract a DVD9 then it's fine :p:

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

I`ve never had speed issues with it although to be honest i`ve never extracted a DVD9 but still,it`s better than waiting half an hour on your AV scan finishing before you can even start:p:

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

Only if you install McAfee software :p:

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

That junks just not funny,it`s nort on ;-)

EDIT:
You wont get full blown Ubuntu running too well on those things zing.It probably will install using an alternate cd but i think the lighter Xubuntu would be more appropriate for the spec in question.Something even lighter would probably be better.

PS..sorry about all the edits...i got 8 kids for the night so it`s distractions galore @ the X-pod.

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

http://www.howtoforge.com/
has loads of useful tutorials for Linux newbies, especially those aimed at ppl new to a distro, or those new to Linux, and what to add the same/similar programmes to MS Windows

The Perfect Desktop - Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex)
http://www.howtoforge.com/the-perfec...op-ubuntu-8.10

Also as suggested earlier, out of the box Ubuntu's system requirements are similar to XP. You can turn off things like compiz (fancy effects when you minimise windows etc) but there's a lot of background bloat.
XUbuntu would be slightly better but not that much.
there's distros like U-Lite (Ubuntu Lite)
http://u-lite.org/
and crunch bang
http://crunchbanglinux.org/
which are stripped down Ubuntu distros

as for drivers, I know you've got that sorted but I think most Linux users recognise that ATI are far behind Nvidia when it comes to supporting Linux. I know some distros recommend you use their ATI drivers coded by them rather than the official ATI ones!

I also recommend k3b for burning, closest to Nero you'll get for Linux

Linux Mint is good if you like Ubuntu, it's Ubuntu, but a lot of the codec stuff etc has already been done for you :)

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

The GFX driver aint working right there is a problem with Open gl . The windows wobble though but dunno

No Python OpenGL support
No Python GTKGLExt support get these errors when trying to play chess in 3d lol

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

Try installing...
Or search for them in synaptic of course.
Mabey this too if the above dont solve it.
EDIT:
I gather you have decent hardware zing but sometimes having Compiz running at the same time your trying to play graphics intensive games & stuff can be a problem.Try shutting compiz down & switching to the normal Window manager...Metacity.
Just use ALT-F2 rather than the terminal if you want...a bit like the RUN dialogue in Windows...
that will switch you over to metacity and kill compiz while.....
will switch compiz back on.

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

I use Linux Mint as it is the closest to XP and it has most apps you would need preloaded and it looks for the Linux software for your hardware by default.

Probably one of the easiest to preload as an O/S on any machine.

http://www.linuxmint.com/

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

LOL
Nah, Xubuntu is not much lighter (nor faster) than ubuntu, If he did want to go the ubuntu way (for ease) then he'd be better off doing a base install and then putting LXDE on there which is blazingly fast on pretty much any hardware, is also better than XFCE imo.

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

Ok installed the opengl and it gave me 3d but wasnt right. You were correct shutting down compiz does appear to sort it so its now usable for what I want. I will be doing a read up for WINE to see if I can actually game on it (not holding out to much hope but its just extending my experiement) Have to say its been a lot more successful than ever before still a few visits to Terminal but with help its proved doable. Guess my view on Linux on a basic machine nearly out of the box for an average user is now a possibility

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

Aint that the tooth;)

Almost forgot...you might find this handy
http://www.ubuntupocketguide.com/download3.html

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

Xpod gas been nominated for one of these.
http://incognitas.ghotihosted.com/Monkeybreath.jpg

in my opinoin the whole thread deserves this

[img]Download Failed (1)[/img]

to be shared between all those who gave such helpful advice in this thread.

Let's see more threads like this folks..

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

lol....nobody liked to mention Linux before now in case zing zapped them with that flame thrower of his.

I jest...:angel:

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

now now I have no influence here :D

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

Indeed, now that we've completely converted zing and persuaded him to move entirely away from the evil Windows and over to the most righteous and holy Linux we should actually be able to have a decent conversation about Linux without getting lambasted :Yes:


:jk:

---------- Post added at 18:41 ---------- Previous post was at 18:40 ----------


I'll remember you said that :D

Re: Ubuntu revisited
 

games are the only reason I have XP on my home machine. Missus is as happy as me using Firefox and thunderbird in Linux, as she was in XP. I doubt she knows or case what Linux we use, which some might say is how it should be ;)

But if I got rid of Xp all together she'd be annoyed at not being able to play Sims 2 or Bioshock. I've read World of Warcraft is very playable in Linux using Wine, and a friend plays GTA 3 in Wine, but I'm not sure about many more recent games, I think it's the DirectX speed which is the problem.

it's a bit old now, but a friend recently got Prey for Linux, from what he said getting it to run is much like Quake and other old id games were under Unix variants, i.e. you buy the PC version, copy the files you need off the CD, dl the appropriate Linux files, and you're away.

http://2dboy.com/games.php
World of Goo has a Linux version available, it's good fun.

wine in general is very useful, I use it for apps like digiguide, where there isn't a Linux equivalent. Digiguide's own site even suggests Linux users use wine and tell you what you need to do to run it.

Apart from games, the only other MS Windows apps I think that struggle with Linux under wine are things like software for pdas and phones. But there's a fair few mp3 programs which I'm told act similarly to itunes. I've never used itunes so I wouldn't know how close they are but amarok is popular.

---------- Post added at 19:23 ---------- Previous post was at 19:17 ----------

Just found this, doesn't look like you'd be playing Crysis in Ubuntu
http://appdb.winehq.org/appbrowse.php?catId=2